Apparatus for casting mounting surfaces on electrical condensers and the like



Feb. 8, 1944. R CLEMONS 2,341,362

APPARATUS FOR CASTING MOUNTING SURFACES 0N ELECTRICAL CONDENSERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY 944. D. R. CLEMONS 2,341,362

APPARATUS FOR CASTING MOUNTING SURFACES 0N ELECTRICAL CONDENSERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1944 APPARATUS Foe CASTING MoUNTING sUEFACEs oN ELECTRICAL CoNnENsEns AND THE LIKE Dale R. Clemons, Riverside, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company,

Incorporated, New

York, N. Y. a corporation of New York plication October 24, 1941, Serial o. 416,287 I n (crap-58),, V

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for casting mounting surfaces on electrical condensers and the like, and more particularlyto an apparatus for molding or casting directly upon electrical condensers, fiat surfaced embossments or mounting blocks for maintaining the condensers accurately aligned with respect to the mounting plates or panels to which the condensers are subsequently attached.

Electrical condensers, particularly those of the type which are sealed in metal containers, are sometimes attached to fiat supporting members or mounting plates by means of mounting studs which are anchored in the sealed covers of the condenser containers and project perpendicularly therefrom. It is essential, in some instances, that such condensers be accurately aligned with respect to the supporting member or mounting plate to present a pleasing appearance and/or to permit the mounting of a plurality of condensers on close centers. However, the presence of the usual soldered terminal posts and soldered filling holes on the condenser coversusually presents an irregular surface surrounding the mounting studs which, heretofore, has rendered it diflicult and costly to properly align such condensers with respect to the mounting plates.

Objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical apparatus for molding or casting directly on condensers or the like, an embossment or mounting block adapted to engage and cooperate with a surface of the condenser supporting member to insure proper alignment of the condenser with respect to the supporting member.

In accordance with the above objects, one em-' bodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of apparatus for casting a mounting surface cn a condenser, in which the condenser is placed in an aligning and molding fixture having a mold cavity and means by which the condenser is aligned with respect to the mold cavity, after which the mold cavity is filled with a molten metal capable of subsequently hardening or, setting directly on the condenser in the form of a block or embossment having the desired mounting surface. Mechanism is providedfor vibrating the molding fixture during the pouring operation in order to avoid porosity in the cast mounting block and to improve the contour thereof.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a verticalsectional view of a molding fixture embodying the invention, the section be-, ing taken on line l,l o'f.Fi 3; I

Fig. 2 is a side elevational vievv of Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mold and gate mem.- ber, the latter being shown in the open'position;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational. view showingthe manner in which the fixture is held in a tilted poisition upon an electromagnetically vibrated plate during the pouring of the molten metal into the moldcavity; fl N Fig. 6 is aperspectiveview of an electricalcondenser adapted to be provided with a castgmountthe fixture;

ing block by the apparatus of thepresent invention; r .Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an electrical condenser that hasbeen provided with a cast mounting block by the apparatus of the invention;. and Fig. 8 shows several such condensers attached to a mounting plate. Q Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in Fig.6 an electrical condenserl0 of a well-known, type, employed in telephone communication systems. The illustrated condenser comprises anouter metal casing-or container ll having a sealed-on cover I 2 to which are soldered the two terminal posts l3-l3. The coveris-provided-with the usual filling hole;=jl5 which is sealed bya globule of'solder l6. A mounting stud H is anchored to the cover for use in at taching the condenser to a supporting panel or mounting plate l8, as shown in Fig. 8. In' accordance with a featureof the present invention, a fiat surfaced embossment'or mount ing block l9 (Fig. '7) is molded or cast directly on the cover adjacent' to and surroundingthe mounting stud "ll. This mounting block is prefw erably composed of a lead-antimony tin alloy, but other alloys, as well as various non-metallic molding materials, may be used. It is necessary, only, that the, mounting block be firmly attached to the condenser cover and that it have afiat outer surface 20 for engaging and cooperating with the mounting plate to maintain the condenser substantially perpendicular to the mounting plate, as shown in Fig. 8. H v

A preferred form of molding fixture for casting the molding block on the condenser cover is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings.

22 of thefixtureis formed on. its upper surfacewith a depression'28which conforms to and accommodates the cover of the condenser. Within this depression and centered with respect thereto is a mold cavity (Figs. 1 and 4) whichis shaped.

to conform to the shape of thesembossment or;

mounting block to be cast on the condenser cover, and the bottom of the mold cavity is flat so as to form a flat mounting surface on the cast mounting block.

Mold block 22 and supporting frame 24 are provided with aligned close fitting apertures 32 and 33, respectively, for accommodating the mounting stud ll of the condenser. Notches 34, 34 (Figs. 3 and. 4) are. provided in the mold block and frame for accommodating. the terminal posts I 3 of the condenser and'two apertures. 35, 35 are provided inthe base plate 25' for receiving. the condenser terminals.

To the right of the. mold cavity 30', a tapered depression or filling trough 31 is provided in the upper surface of the mold block and a. slot 38 in the. adjoining wall of the mold cavity connects the-cavity with the trough.

K gate member 40 is hinged or pivoted 0n. the protruding ends of a fixed horizontal pin 4| mounted. in the mold block. This gate member is provided with. a suitable handle 42, by means of which it may be opened and closed. The gate is formed with a tapered groove 44', which terminates at its smaller end in a slotted projection 45, [When the gate is closed, as showninl Figs. 1., 2 and 3, the slotted projection 45' cooperates. with the slotted wall of the mold cavity to provide an inlet opening (Fig. 2) for the moldcavity, and. it will be obvious that the tapered groove 44 of the gate is adapted to cooperate with the tapered depression- 31 in the mold block to guide and direct the molten metal toward the inlet opening 41.

To the upper end of the upstanding portion of frame 24, there is attached a suitable handle and achanneled guide or gauge block SF. The gauge block is provided on opposite sides thereof with two guide channels 53 and 54 for accommodating the body portion of the condenser and these guide channels are of different widths so that by simply reversing the gauge block. the fixture may be adjusted to handle condensers of two different sizes. 2

The frame 24 is of channel cross section" and an ejecting bar is vertically slidable therein behind fixed retaining pins 6l--6I as best shown in Fig. 1. This ejecting bar has a horizontal outwardly extendinghandle portion 63 at itsupper end and av horizontal. inwardly extending arm '64 at its" lower end. When the ejecting bar is manually lifted, by means of the handle portion 63, the arm 64 is adapted to press upwardly onthe stud IT of the condenser to lift the condenser out of the mold.

A'n auxiliary ejector in the form of a lever 65 is provided for cooperating with ejecting bar 6!] to remove the' condenser and the attached cast mountingb'lock from the mold. Thisejector lever is pivoted on the horizontal. pin 4| and. operates in aslot 61 in the mold block- A coil spring 68 i'sfarranged to press upwardly against the outer en'dof' the lever so that-the. inner end thereof is normally held in its retracted position within the slot 67. When in this position, the upper surface of the lever is fiush with the bottom of the filling trough 31 of the mold block.

In the operation of the above-described molding fixture, a condenser is placed therein in an inverted position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. '1, with the mounting stud I! inserted in the apertures 32 and 33 and with the body of the condenser lying in the channel 53 of gauge block 5|. The condenser is thus positioned perpendicular to the flat bottom surface of the mold cavity 30. With the condenser so positioned, the gate 40 is closed'and' the fixture is held in a tilted position upon a vibratory plate 10, as shown in Fig. 5. By means of an electromagnet 12, the plate is vibrated while molten metal is poured into the mold cavity through. the inlet opening 41 by way of the filling trough 31. The fixture is vibrated by the vibrating plate, thus forcing the molten metal into all corners of the mold cavity.

A sufficient amount of molten metal is poured into the mold to completely fill the mold cavity and then rise in the filling trough 31 to. the level indicated at 13' in Fig. 5. After the metal in the mold has been allowed to. set, the fixture is removed from the vibrating plate, the. gate 40 is opened, and the condenser with the block of metal cast thereon is ejected from the fixture. The ejection is accomplished by manually lifting the ejector bar 60 to lift the condenser and cast block out of the mold while the outer end of ejector lever 66- is pressed downwardly so that the inner end thereof is projected upwardly to eject from the filling trough 31 the protruding burr formed on the cast block by the overflow of metal into the filling trough. This protruding burr isthen removed by clipping it off with close cutting pliers, thus leaving attached to the condenser cover a cast mounting block [9 (Fig. 7)

having smooth side edges and a flat surface 20 for engaging and cooperating with the mounting plate to maintain the condenser perpendicular with respect. to the mounting plate, as shown in It will be obvious that the invention is not limited. to the specific embodiments thereof herein illustrated and described, except insofar as is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for casting a mounting block around amounting stud projecting from an end of an article, a mold block having in a surface thereof an aperture for receiving said mounting stud and a mold cavity surrounding said aperture, said mold cavity having a slot in a side wall thereof. a; gate hinged on said mold block and having a portion bridging said slot to provide a restricted inlet port for said mold cavity, and a slidable ejector engageable with the mounting stud for d-islodging the cast mounting block from the mold cavity.

2. In an apparatus for casting a mounting block around a mounting stud projecting from an end portion of an article, a support, a mold block thereon having in a surface thereof a depression for receiving the said end portion of the article and an aperture within said depression for receiving said mounting stud, said mold block having a mold cavity surrounding said aperture and a filling trough for said cavity, a gate hinged to said mold block for bridging said filling trough at its junction with the mold cavity to provide a restrictedv inlet port for said cavity, and an ejector slidable in the support and enaround a mounting stud projecting from an article, a mold block having in a surface thereof an aperture for receiving said mounting stud and a mold cavity surrounding said aperture, said mold cavity having a slot in a side wall thereof, and a gate hinged on said block and having a portion bridging said slot to provide a restricted inlet port for said mold cavity.

DALE R. CLEMONS. 

